In a different clothing style
by GamblingDementor
Summary: 30 day OTP challenge: Day fifteen, your OTP in a different clothing style. Zhu Li and Varrick are on their honeymoon, and a necessary step is Ba Sing Se to meet up with Zhu Li's family.


Ba Sing Se was just as huge and buzzing at Zhu Li remembered. The streets of the Middle Ring were swarming with people, citizens or tourists, and her head spun with the smells, sounds and memories of her childhood. Varrick was a lot less excited. He trailed behind, grabbing her hand not to lose her in the crowd.  
>"I can't do this, Zhu Li!"<br>She stopped in her tracks and turned around right in front of him. He gulped.  
>"You can and you will go through this. It's my family. They have to meet my husband."<br>"But what if they hate me? What if they remember what you told them about me all these years?"  
>She smiled and gave him a peck on the lips.<br>"I've only ever said good things."  
>"That's even worse! How can I live up to that? They'll be so disappointed!"<br>"Stop whining, Varrick. It'll be just fine."  
>He pouted and crossed his arms. She was about to kiss him again — after years of wanting to, now that they were husband and wife, she was not about to ever stop kissing him whenever she felt like it — but someone bumped into Varrick and almost made him fall.<br>"Ugh! He didn't even apologize!" he whined. "Doesn't he know who I am?"  
>"People don't care much for anyone from other nations in Ba Sing Se. Most people have never left the city and don't recognize even famous people."<br>"Well it sure doesn't help that I'm wearing this stuff," he said and pointed at his kimono. "I miss my suits."  
>She had asked him to at least wear a regular outfit from Ba Sing Se to fit in a little bit, but also because she thought it would look great on him. And it really did. She had never seen him in anything other than pants in her life, but robes in the fashion of the Middle Ring suited him so <em>fine.<em> She would definitely bring those back home in Republic City once their honeymoon trip was over.

"The house is just around the corner."  
>"It's too late to go back to the hotel, isn't it?"<br>"Varrick, do you want to act like a husband or like a coward?"  
>That was a low blow but it sobered him up. He straightened up and took her hand again.<br>"You're right. Let's go. But don't expect me to speak!"

Bells of pewter rang through the narrow empty shop. It was just as Zhu Li remembered it, and yet so different. She had not been here in many years. The shelves, solid cherrywood, were just as high and sturdy as she remembered them, but they had been filled to the brink with odds and ends, and were now almost empty. The place had been crowded with customers but was completely empty now, except for them. The walls had been painted a different color and the counter was new, but the same atmosphere was still very much there, a warm cozy place where you could find all sorts of treasures if you took the time to search around.  
>"Coming, coming!" said a voice in the back room, a voice that warmed Zhu Li's heart like few others could, "Make yourself at home, please, and tell me what you're looking for..."<br>The voice stopped as soon as her mother came into the room, and for a while she just stood there, staring at her daughter. Zhu Li took a few steps towards her, smiling.  
>"Zhu Li..."<br>"Hello, Mom."

"My sweet little badgermole, I didn't expect you here!" she said and pulled Zhu Li into a crushing hug. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too."

It felt good to be in her mother's arms after many years without seeing her. They kept contact in letters but it was nothing compared to the embrace of a loving mom.

"And who is this man?"

Her mother loosened her hug, still holding her close to her, and was looking at Varrick.

He looked around, as if hoping she was actually referring to someone else.

"That's Varrick…"

"Oh, _the_ Varrick? Great to finally meet you, Sir. Zhu Li told me so much about you."

"Oh, erm, hey! Nice to meet you, Ma'am."

He fidgeted with the items on some shelves, avoiding eye contact, picking up a little box, putting it back.

"He's my husband."

He froze into place and slowly turned his eyes to her mother.

"Husband?"

Her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly open in surprise, but Zhu Li saw the sparkle in her look and knew it would go just fine.

"We're on our honeymoon," she added.

"But… why didn't you tell me sooner, sweetie? You never even told me you were engaged."

"It was kind of… unplanned."

"Why don't you both come with me at the back and tell me the whole story with some tea and cookies?"

Even once in the kitchen, with Zhu Li holding his hand under the table, Varrick relaxed very little.

"So, you're telling me you both felt that way for a very long time?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Yes, Mom."

"I wish I could have seen the wedding."

"You can, actually, we have it on film."

"I'd love to see that."

She looked away in distance, sipping her tea.

"I still can't believe you got married, sweetie. Does Jing know?"

In truth, Zhu Li had not told anyone in her family about the wedding. She shook her head.

"Actually, I was hoping to see her today, too."

"Oh, you probably will. She'll be thrilled to see you. We've been worried sick about you, sweetheart, with all that happened in Republic City. There are rumors but it's hard to know the truth from the lies, nowadays."

"I'm safe now."

"And I'm so happy that you came to see your old mother, dear."

She took another sip of tea before turning to Varrick and he gulped. Zhu Li had never known that he could be so self-conscious, and found it very endearing.

"So, Varrick, how do you like my daughter? Isn't she the sweetest?"

"Well, I must say that she's the best thing that ever happened in my life."

"Mmh," her mother nodded, "In my life too. Her and her sister."

"You must be so proud of her. I know I am."

Zhu Li squeezed his hand at that.

"Oh, I sure am. She's the pride of our family. Zhu Li, our little engineer who got out there in the world. Well, not that Jing doesn't make me just as proud, of course."

"She's far more than an engineer! She's the smartest woman I know."

"I'm happy to hear that."

In the end, the day was well spent. Zhu Li and her mother did most of the talking, but every time Varrick had something to say, it was to compliment her or tell a funny anecdote about her that made her look smart or interesting. They met her sister and Zhu Li loved seeing her niece and nephews. She wondered if some day, they would have cousins, but that was something they still had plenty of time to consider. When, in the evening, they went back to the hotel, it was with their arms full of presents from the whole family. They would stay in Ba Sing Se for another three days, then go on with their trip around the Earth Kingdom. Jing had given them each a beautiful silk tunic and Zhu Li hoped to get Varrick to wear his. He looked so fine in Ba Sing Se garb. But then again, now that they were married (and her heart still fluttered with happiness every time she remembered that they were), she had the rest of her life to convince him to wear whatever she wanted from time to time.


End file.
